Element for securing a body into a wall

ABSTRACT

An attachment element for a body in a wall. The attachment element has a substantially tubular rigid region for receiving the body, and a flexible region for adaptation to a non-flat contour of the wall. The two regions are joined to one another via at least one elastic intermediate piece.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The present invention related to an attachment element for a body thatcan be inserted into a hole in a wall. German Published Patent Appln.No. 38 12 182 A1 describes a known attachment element, in which anultrasonic transducer with a cylindrical body is inserted, forattachment, through a hole in a bumper of a motor vehicle, and retainedfrom the back side by a resilient element to prevent it from fallingout. It has been found that an attachment element of this kind can beinstalled only within a limited installation angle with respect to thewall. Given the variety of different vehicle models and the fact thatthe installation locations of the ultrasonic transducer also differ fromone manufacturer to another, very different angles of inclination of theultrasonic transducer with reference to the road then occur, so thatvarious attachment elements are necessary depending on the vehiclemodel, which in turn increases the number of attachment elements to beproduced.

International Patent Publication No. WO 96/14512 describes an attachmentelement in which mutually interengaging snap hooks are arranged betweenthe attachment element and the sensor, which latter can be insertedthrough a hole into a wall. A portion of the attachment element iselastically deformable such that the mutually interengaging snap hooks,release from one another as the elastic portion of the attachmentelement deforms, and the attachment element is removable from the body.

It is thus usual, in order to install a body in a wall, for example, anultrasonic sensor in a bumper, to use an attachment element whichreceives the sensor and which can then be inserted into a hole in thebumper. The attachment element can be anchored in the motor vehicle invarious fashions. As already described above, retention can beaccomplished by spring force, which has the advantage that the componentcan readily be detached again. It is also known to anchor the attachmentelement in the bumper by ultrasonic welding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The attachment element according to the present invention has, incontrast to the known existing art, the advantage that the body to beattached by way of the attachment element can be installed in a wallhaving any desired curvature. The fact that the attachment elementincludes a flexible region for adaptation to the wall and a rigid regionfor receiving the body to be attached has the advantage that anattachment element can be used in many ways because it is adaptable andat the same time dimensionally stable. The provision of an elasticintermediate piece for joining the rigid and the flexible regions of theattachment element moreover has the advantage that any force acting onthe rigid region can be absorbed elastically. Lastly, it is therebypossible to flexibly handle differences between the contact surface andattachment element.

It is particularly advantageous that the degree of flexibility can beestablished by way of the groove depth between the individual ridges.

Because of its flexible region, the attachment element can optimallyconform to the wall so that the attachment element can be joined veryeffectively to the wall by adhesive bonding, for example, using adouble-sided adhesive system. Because of the flexibility, no peelingeffect occurs at the joining point, so that the mechanical loadingexperienced by the adhesive joining is insignificant or absent.

The provision of spacers at the corners of the attachment element offersthe advantage that very good alignment and adjustment of the attachmentelement is possible prior to final attachment to the wall.

A further advantage exists because of the provision of a collar toreceive the body that is to be installed, since no additional devicesare necessary in order to center the body being attached in theattachment element.

Lastly, in the event of a replacement or a repair that has becomenecessary, it is easily possible to take the body out of the attachmentelement toward the rear, thereby substantially reducing the complexityand thus cost of replacement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an attachment element according to the present invention ina perspective depiction, obliquely from the front.

FIG. 2 shows the attachment element according to the present inventionin a side view.

FIG. 3 shows the attachment element according to the present inventionin a perspective depiction, obliquely from the rear.

FIG. 4 shows an illustration of the two regions of the attachmentelement of the present invention being fitted together in a detachablemanner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows the attachment element according to the present inventionin a perspective depiction, obliquely from the front. The attachmentelement includes two parts.

The first part has a solid or rigid region I for receiving the body tobe attached (not depicted here). Rigid region 1 is substantially tubularand is delimited toward the front by a collar 2. The body to be attachedis inserted from the back side into the tubular segment of rigid region1. A stop 7 provided on rigid region (shown in FIG. 2) determines theinsertion depth of the body to be attached, and thus dictates thedefined installation location. Rigid region 1 moreover has resilienttabs 8 which protect the inserted body, for example a sensor fordistance measurement, from falling out. The body to be attached is thussecured in the rigid region 1 of the attachment element.

Collar 2 which delimits rigid region 1 toward the front ensures that noadditional devices for centering are necessary in the attachment elementin order to install the body to be attached. Collar 2 is configured sothat it closes off that wall of the hole in which the body to beattached (not depicted here) is to be received. As a result, besides acylindrical hole in the wall, no additional elements are necessary inorder to secure the attachment element.

The second part is a flexible region 3 which will be explained in moredetail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In all the Figures,identical components are given identical reference characters, so thateach component will not be explained again in detail each time. Flexibleregion 3 of the attachment element comprises contact surface 10. Locatedon the back side of contact surface 10 is a knob structure which, in theexemplary embodiment, comprises a plurality of block-like knobs 9. Theconfiguration of this knob structure is not limited, however,exclusively to block-like knobs 9; conical, cylindrical, semi-spherical,or other forms are also conceivable for the individual knobs 9. Locatedrespectively between the individual knobs 9 is a groove 11, theflexibility of flexible region 3 being adjustable via the depth of theindividual grooves 11 between knobs 9. The greater the groove depth, thegreater the flexibility of this component. In the case of the attachmentelement according to the present invention, contact surface 10 with itsstructured back side is substantially rectangular, other shapes beingconceivable here as well. Provided at each of the corner points ofcontact surface 10 are spacers 5 which allow the attachment element tobe aligned and adjusted. The stability of spacers 5 is designed to besuch that when contact surface 10 is pressed onto the installationsurface (not depicted here), they can be slightly pushed backward.

Rigid region 1 and flexible region 3 are joined by an elasticintermediate piece 4 which surrounds the rigid region and is mounted insuch a way that it is joined at two points to flexible region 3.Preferably two contact points 6, with which the installation depth ofthe collar 2 in the wall can be set, are provided on rigid region 1.

The joining between rigid region 1 and flexible region 3 can beaccomplished permanently or detachably. FIG. 4 shows, in contrast toFIG. 1 with the permanent joining depicted therein by way of elasticintermediate pieces 4, a detachable joining. Flexible region 3 has, inthe region of its cutout for receiving the rigid region 1, twohalf-shells 12. Pegs 13, supported in half-shells upon assembly, areprovided on rigid region 1. The two regions 1, 3 are joined via arotatable articulated joining, half-shells 12 also being elastic. Thisdetachable joining has the advantage that a flexible standard part canbe used. The joining becomes more stable, and because of the rotationcapability, the flexible region 3 can be better adapted to the surfacebeing attached.

For attachment, contact surface 10 of the flexible region 3 can beadhesively bonded in planar fashion to the inner surface of the wall onwhich the attachment part is applied.

In the completely installed state, the outer wall, collar surface, andsurface of the body to be installed usually form a flat surface.

What is claimed is:
 1. An attachment element for a body in a wall,comprising: a rigid region having a substantially tubular shape toreceive the body; a flexible region capable of adaptation to a non-flatcontour of the wall; and an elastic intermediate piece for joining therigid region and the flexible region at a predefined point; wherein: theflexible region includes a contact surface, the contact surface includesa back side on which is disposed a knob structure having a plurality ofknobs, and a flexibility of the flexible region is adjustable on thebasis of a groove depth between individual knobs of the plurality ofknobs such that the flexibility of the flexible region increases as thegroove depth becomes greater.
 2. An attachment element for a body in awall, comprising: a rigid region having a tubular shape configured toreceive the body; a flexible region adaptable to a non-flat contour ofthe wall; and an elastic intermediate piece joining the rigid region andthe flexible region at a predefined point.
 3. The attachment elementaccording to claim 2, wherein the rigid region includes: a circularcollar for receiving the body, and a stop defining an installation depthfor the body in the rigid region.
 4. The attachment element according toclaim 3, wherein the rigid region includes at least two contact pointsfor establishing an installation depth of the circular collar in thewall.
 5. The attachment element according to claim 2, wherein the rigidregion includes resilient tabs for preventing the body from falling outof the attachment element.
 6. The attachment element according to claim2, wherein the elastic intermediate piece surrounds the rigid region andis joined to the flexible region at at least two points.
 7. Theattachment element according to claim 2, wherein the flexible region iscapable of adaptation to a curved contour of the wall.
 8. The attachmentelement according to claim 2, further comprising a rotatable articulatedjoint connecting the rigid region and the flexible region via theelastic intermediate piece.
 9. The attachment element according to claim2, wherein the rigid region includes a collar for receiving the body,the collar being configured so that the wall, the collar and the bodydefine a flat surface in a completely installed state.
 10. Theattachment element according to claim 2, wherein the flexible regionincludes a contact surface, and the contact surface includes a back sideon which is disposed a knob structure having a plurality of knobs. 11.The attachment element according to claim 2, wherein the flexible regionincludes a contact surface, a contour of the contact surface beingcapable of adaptation to the non-flat contour of the wall.